“The heart of the Church is rent asunder,” Pope Leo XIV said during his Wednesday General Audience, mourning the cries “rising up from places of war,” especially Ukraine, Iran, Israel, and Gaza. In a world wracked by escalating violence and the brutalization of civilians, the Holy Father issued an urgent spiritual and moral call for peace.
His appeal comes at a time when the temptation toward militarized solutions is growing. Pope Leo implored the faithful not to accept this as normal: “We must never become accustomed to war,” he said, urging Catholics to “reject as a temptation the allure of powerful and sophisticated weapons.” Echoing the voices of his predecessors, Pope Leo declared: “War is always a defeat!”—a phrase often repeated by Pope Francis. He also cited the wisdom of Pope Pius XII, who led the Church through the Second World War and proclaimed, “Nothing is lost with peace. Everything can be lost with war.”
The Pope warned of modern warfare’s dehumanizing descent into savagery: “Scientific weapons of all kinds” risk “leading combatants to a barbarism far greater than that of times past.” His words arrive as the world witnesses unspeakable violence unfolding in multiple regions, each revealing the human toll of war.
In Ukraine, Russian airstrikes have intensified. At least 18 people were killed and 151 wounded in overnight missile and drone attacks, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, who described the strikes as among the most horrific since the 2022 full-scale invasion began. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine stated that the assault on Kyiv was the deadliest this year. “Last night’s attack exemplifies the grave threat posed by the tactic of deploying missiles and large numbers of drones simultaneously into populated areas, which leads to civilian casualties and profound suffering,” said Danielle Bell, head of the mission.
Meanwhile, thousands are fleeing Iran’s capital as Israel expands its offensive against nuclear sites. More than 220 people—including scientists and military leaders—were reportedly killed in overnight strikes on Tehran, with Israeli military sources confirming air force involvement across 20 targets. In retaliation, Iran launched approximately 400 missiles at Israel; 24 people have died, according to Israeli officials.
The situation in Gaza is equally tragic. The humanitarian crisis deepens as Israeli tanks reportedly opened fire on civilians awaiting food aid trucks. Medics on the scene say nearly sixty people were killed and over 220 wounded, around 20 of them critically. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that over 55,000 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of Israel’s invasion in October 2023, with almost the entire population now displaced. In just the past few weeks, over 3,000 have been wounded and nearly 400 killed—many of them civilians simply seeking food and safety.
In response to all of this, Pope Leo reminded the world’s leaders and the faithful that international law and the sanctity of life must prevail over vengeance or military dominance. “In the name of human dignity and international law, I repeat to those responsible what Pope Francis used to say: ‘War is always a defeat!’ And with Pius XII, ‘Nothing is lost with peace. Everything can be lost with war.’”
For Catholics, these words are not just moral reflections—they are marching orders for prayer, solidarity, and witness to peace. In an age of mechanized warfare and diplomatic failure, the Church must remain a clear and prophetic voice against violence and in favor of every human life made in the image of God.
